Ядерна фізика та енергетика Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy   ISSN: 1818-331X (Print), 2074-0565 (Online)   Publisher: Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine   Languages: Ukrainian, English   Periodicity: 4 times per year   Open access peer reviewed journal

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Ali Saeed Jassim¹, Ali Abid Abojassim<sup>2,*

1</sup> Radiology Techniques Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
² Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf, Iraq

^*Corresponding author. E-mail address: ali.alhameedawi@uokufa.edu.iq

Abstract: Most buildings use decorative materials that are aesthetically pleasing, that may contain various amounts of radioactive elements. Thus, the human health of dwellers and workers is continuously exposed to ionizing radiation. Natural radioactivity (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K) is measured in decorative materials collected from different Iraqi local markets by utilizing a shielded high counting efficiency NaI(Tl) system. Some radiological hazard indexes in all samples were calculated. The results obtained showed that the maximum value of specific activity for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K is in decorative stone and the minimum is measured in decorative alabaster. This study concluded that the natural radioactivity and radiological hazard in most samples of decorative materials were within the permissible limits by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other world reported. Therefore, most samples of decorative materials in the present study can be used without health risks according to radiation scope.

Keywords: natural radioactivity, decorative materials, building materials, γ-ray spectroscopy.

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